Mathoura Football Club had a decade that started and finished with plenty of potential.
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The Timbercutters kicked off the 2010s with a second place finish on the ladder — with 12 wins, three losses and a draw — however they were unable to get the job done in finals, being knocked out in straight sets.
Mathoura once again finished second in 2011 — 12 wins six losses — but were unable to make the most of the opportunity, knocked out of the finals race in the preliminary final.
A mass exodus of senior players saw the quick demise of the Timbercutters in 2012, going 0-18 in a winless season.
The club struggled on the field in 2013, sitting seventh out of eight teams before the PDFL welcomed Tocumwal to become a nine team competition in 2014.
This saw Mathoura finish sixth in both 2014 and 2015, but the club could not climb the ladder in 2016 and 2017 and finished eighth.
A big change happened in 2018, with the North West and South East Divisions of the PDFL merging into a 13 team competition.
The Timbercutters were unable to make an impact in the new-look league, finishing 11th on the ladder in 2018 with just three wins for the year.
The final year of the decade however brought hope of a Mathoura resurgence.
Mathoura won their way into finals with six wins for the season in 2019, and after some close losses to some of the league’s powerhouse sides.
This broke a seven year finals drought for the Timbercutters.
And while they were knocked out of finals in the first week, they showed plenty of promise for the near future.
Reflecting back on the past 10 seasons, the club put together its Mathoura team of the decade.
The team is as follows:
B: Phil Hazelman, Brett Jackson (Weldon), Tom Higgins
HB: Jack Hughes, Shaun Delamare, Justin Hartshorn
C: Amos Farrell, Nathan O’Callaghan (c), Jake Ellery
HF: Troy Gread, Callum Harding-Davies, Darcy Robinson
F: Sam McHale, Brody Lumber, Chris Allingham
R: Ashley Neal, Tim Sparey, Matt Sparey
Interchange: Andrew Evans, Nick Tucker, Beau Duggan-Hulands, Justin Smith
Coach: Chris Mitsch
Profiles for those selected in the side are as follows:
Phil Hazelman: Ex-senior coach, good decision maker, can play either end of the ground.
Brett Jackson (Weldon): Damaging backline player, makes opponent earn every touch. 2010 and 2015 best and fairest.
Tom Higgins: Very gifted player with a booming kick, can’t be tackled.
Jack Hughes: Current captain, cool head, great skills.
Shaun Delamare: Great intercept mark, hard as a cat’s head, never beaten. 2016 best and fairest.
Justin Hartshorn: Another super competitive backman who gives opponents no respite, glad he’s on our side.
Amos Farrell: Super tough, very quick competitive beast. Great skills.
Nathan O’Callaghan: Bleeds red and blue. Heart and soul of the club for more than 280 senior games, fantastic skills. An obvious choice as captain.
Jake Ellery: Absolute ball magnet, knocks up plenty of touches, long kick, loves a goal. 2019 best and fairest.
Troy Gread: High flyer with a great set of hands, good kick for goal.
Callum Harding-Davies: Great mark, good leap, opponents know they have been in a contest.
Darcy Robinson: Current coach, reads the play well, very reliable kick for goal, presents all day.
Sam McHale: Goal sneak who knows where they are, pinch hits in the midfield, very good crumber.
Brody Lumber: Super kick for goal. Will slot them from anywhere, loves a big grab.
Chris Allingham: Silky skills. Another who knows where the goals are, forwards love leading to him. 2013 best and fairest.
Ashley Neal: Bit undersized but never beaten. Moves beautifully around the ground, great hands. 2011 best and fairest.
Tim Sparey: Great front and centre player with a huge workrate, runs all day.
Matt Sparey: Hard to tackle, extremely quick, knocks up getting the ball, reads it better than most.
Andrew Evans: Can play in the ruck or just as comfortable down back, reads it well with a good set of hands. 2018 best and fairest.
Nick Tucker: Talented half back, great intercept mark, tough as old boots. 2014 best and fairest.
Beau Duggan-Hulands: Just as comfortable forward or back, booming kick and great mark.
Justin Smith: Forever puts his body on the line. Extremely courageous, great leader.
Chris Mistch: Coached the club to three straight finals campaigns. Last coach to lead the club to a finals victory, tactical magician.